Candlemas

Candlemas is a Christian holiday that celebrates three occasions according to Christian belief: the presentation of the child Jesus, Jesus' first entry into the temple, and Virgin Mary's purification.

Why is it important?

Candlemas, also called Presentation of the Lord or Presentation of Christ in the Temple or Hypapante, is a Christian festival on February 2 commemorating the occasion when the Virgin Mary, in obedience to Jewish law, went to the Temple in Jerusalem both to be purified 40 days after the birth of her son, Jesus, and to present him to God as her firstborn (Luke 2:22–38).

The festival was formerly known in the Roman Catholic Church as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is now known as the Presentation of the Lord. In the Anglican church it is called the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. In the Greek church it is called Hypapante (Meeting), in reference to Jesus' meeting in the Temple with the aged Simeon.

History of the Festival

Origins

The earliest reference to the festival is from Jerusalem, where in the late 4th century the Western pilgrim Etheria attended its celebration on February 14, 40 days after Epiphany (then celebrated as Christ's birthday), and wrote of it in the Peregrinatio Etheriae, where she confirmed that the celebrations took place in honor of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple.

Hypapante

In the 6th century, around 541 A.D., responding to a horrible plague that had struck Constantinople, Emperor Justinian I ordered huge prayer processions throughout the city during the Feast of the Presentation to ask God for deliverance from the evil of the disease. At this time, the tradition of holding blessed candles in reverence had long been in place, and after the plague passed, the regular celebration of Candlemas spread throughout the Roman Empire. In 542 Justinian I decreed that its date should be moved back to February 2 (40 days after Christmas). His nephew, Roman consul Justin, established the celebration of the Hypapante, or Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.

Modern Candlemas

By the middle of the 5th century the custom of observing the festival with lighted candles had been introduced, and the name Candlemas developed from this custom. In the Western church, Pope Sergius I (687–701) instituted the festival in Rome. In the East it is primarily a festival of Christ. In the West it was primarily a celebration of the Virgin Mary until the calendar reform of 1969.

source: britannica.com, Wikipedia.org

Why Candles?

Candles have traditionally been used in its observance. Since its origins, Candlemas was considered a purification holiday and a celebration of the return of light after winter's darkness. It's possible that Candlemas is a Christian adaptation of the Roman holiday Februalia, a purification and cleansing celebration.

Christian Customs

While it is customary for Christians in some countries to remove their Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve), those in other Christian countries historically remove them after Candlemas.

On Candlemas, many Christians (especially Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans and Methodists) also bring their candles to their local church, where they are blessed and then used for the rest of the year; for Christians, these blessed candles serve as a symbol of Jesus Christ, who referred to himself as the Light of the World.

Februalia: a time of Purification

In ancient Rome, February was dedicated to Februus, and it was the month in which Rome was purified by making offerings and sacrifices to the gods of the dead.

The Februalia was a month-long period of sacrifice and atonement, involving offerings to the gods, prayer, and sacrifices.

Because of the association with fire as a method of purification, Februalia eventually became associated with Vesta, a hearth goddess.

Did you know?

The origins of our modern Valentine's Day celebration are deeply seeded in ancient Rome's Februalia festival.

In these bygone days this month was a time of sacrifice and purification to atone for the sins committed. Homes were swept, ritually cleansed and wheat spelt and salt were sprinkled throughout the house, to ward of evil spirits and bad omens.

Later Februalia was fused with a much more raucous and popular celebration of Lupercalia, a festival in honour of Lupercus the god of fertility and Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture.